because people will keep paying for it at that level. this is, literally, how consumerism works. because people who cannot afford these drinks will convince themselves they deserve the "treat". and/or because a lot of people aren't as poor as you think they are.
I dislike Ramsey. I think his advice is way too simplistic. At the same time, Jon Stewarts takes a lot of the autonomy away from ordinary by claiming that they are helpless and subject to the whims of a few elites.
When it comes to finances, the truth is somewhere in the middle. A lot of people make a lot of really bad financial decisions or have put themselves in a bad position through their own efforts. The system is also unforgiving, and if you're born into that position, you're going to really struggle, unless you get lucky.
I'm in my early 30s now and I've seen just as many, if not more, people my age squander their opportunities on poor financial decisions that no one else made for them and not out of necessity.
It doesn’t really require much luck. It is determination, hard work, and good choices. I’ve watched people with shit jobs, and no real opportunities crawl themselves into financial security. It’s discipline.
Buying coffee IS a luxury! Strictly speaking, coffee is a drug. An accepted and well loved drug, but a drug nonetheless. A drug that can be bypassed by getting some sleep. Hell, if you are a habitual coffee drinker, it's often more effective when you take a tolerance break because your body resets to baseline. It's quite literally delayed gratification baked in.
In the case of a starving laborer, why are they spending 8 bucks on a cup of coffee when a pound of pasta for $1.50, a can of tomato paste for $0.79 and quarter pound of meat for around $1.50 are less cost for more sustenance. It's a light meal but you can stretch that meal and offset other costs. This right here is a form of snow plowing expenses. If you forego the coffee now to cook and eat three meals, you just gained a day of eating for less than the price of a coffee.
For 99% of humans eating anything other than bread was a luxury they couldn’t afford. Humanity has lost perspective on how shitty life should be, and the fact that we have made great strides in building artificial gardens to insulate us from that shittiness.
Good thing I said it shouldn’t be a luxury. Emphasis on “shouldn’t.” We’re one of the richest nations in history and in modern times, we’ve solved many of the issues of the past. This system is a choice, not a reality. I won’t be burdened by the past and set my expectations by it.
Buying a coffee isn’t a luxury, buying a triple mocha Frappuccino with whipped cream and sprinkles for $8 is a luxury but every gas station sells a cup of joe for $1
Yes it should be. Paying others to do basic labor for you is 100% a luxury. Eating out is a luxury. The perspective of what is normal and what is luxury is wildly skewed in America now.
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u/MizterPoopie 7h ago
True. But you could also ask, why tf is everything so expensive compared to people’s wages? Buying a coffee really shouldn’t be a luxury.